Friday, April 6, 2012

Restaurant-style Steak

This recipe states it debunks the theory that restaurant-style steaks are grilled. Instead, to achieve that seared juicy perfection, a combination of skillet cooking followed by finishing in the oven is the secret. Ok, I'm game to see if this claim is true. [Spoiler alert - Claim is right on!]

1. Take 1/2 stick of butter, softened and mix well with the peeled, chopped garlic, the chopped herbs, and the lemon zest. Form into a log and refrigerate. Generously season the filets with salt and pepper, approximately 1 teaspoon of seasoning per side.

2. Heat the remainder of the butter (1/2 stick) and the olive oil in a cast iron skillet to a screaming hot temperature. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Sear the filets in a screaming hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until a nice brown crust has formed. While the steak is searing, continue to spoon the residual butter in the pan on top of the meat while it's cooking.

3. Once both sides are seared, place in the center of the oven for about 6-8 minutes, depending upon how thick your steak is. In the last minute or cooking, take the log of compound butter and slice a thick piece to place on top.

4. Your steak will be ready when it is approximately 135º in the center, or when you push lightly on the top center of the steak and it gently and slowly bounces back. (Note, this is medium rare so adjust cooking time accordingly.)

Alright, the very first thing I changed was the "1 stick of butter." I probably mixed up 2 teaspoons of Benecol with the garlic and herbs and only used to garnish the steak when serving.

Second, I decreased the amount of kosher salt used. Yes, you read the Nutrition Facts correctly on the sodium. A little kosher salt goes a long way. So if you can get by seasoning both steaks with only 1 teaspoon then all the better.

I did add approximately 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the oil. And yes, be prepared for the steaks to definitely splatter grease. This is where the splatter screen really comes in handy.

Now, for the oven part - let's just say that I've never set off the smoke detector so many times for one meal! You guessed it - after dinner I was cleaning the oven grates while the oven ran through the "self-cleaning mode." Now, you might think that after all that I'd swear off this recipe. To the contrary, the steaks were tender, moist and yes restaurant-style. So, my thinking is next time before I place the cast iron skillet with the steaks in the oven, I'll pour out a majority of the oil/butter combination and loosely cover it with foil.

Believe me, this recipe really is worth trying once. I leave it up to you to decide if it's worth the clean-up. [My vote is a resounding "yes!"]

Whether you are newly diagnosed or a seasoned Type 2 Diabetic, welcome.

For me it'll be five years since being diagnosed, and I don't mind saying maintaining a diabetic-friendly diet 24/7 "just ain't no walk in the park" to put it bluntly. Example - I was out in California at Disneyland shortly after being diagnosed. My friends and I were hungry so we headed over to Downtown Disney. As we were about to choose a restaurant, my dear friend, Jonathan, turned to me and asked "So what can you eat?" My response, "Food."

Yes, everyone had a rather good laugh. And you should too.

It is true, you do have to be more aware of what you eat. But, diabetes management has come a LONG way from even 15 years ago. Now, you can have a small amount of REAL sugar, as long as you factor it in with the rest of your meal's total carbs.

So the reason for this blog? My close friend, Teena, knows that I've been recently trying different diabetes recipes. When I invited her to join us for dinner, she asked "Why don't you do a blog and share these recipes? Give the REAL scoop on whether to bother, changes required or if it's a keeper." I had already been posting a short snip-it and pic of the dish/dessert on Facebook with positive input from friends. So, this just seemed to be the next logical step.

So with that, here's to eating not only food, but REAL guilt-free comfort foods (yes you really can use the words "guilt-free" and "comfort foods" together) and desserts (honestly). Ready?